THE DEFENCE ACT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume L, Issue 15481, 12 December 1913, Page 6

THE DEFENCE ACT.

The Committee appointed by the Minister for Defence early in the session to assist him in overcoming difficulties arising out of the administration of the Defence Act has not rendered any signal service to the community. Its report, presented to Parliament yesterday, recommends that all who have conscientious objections to giving military service to the state should be released from the military obligation imposed on them by law on giving adequate alternative service in a civil capacity. This proposal is older than the Defence Act itself, and unfortunately the Committee has entirely failed to develop it into , a workable form. It is easy to suggest, as the ■ Committee has suggested, that the alternative service should be work for ' the public benefit; the real difficulty only arises when we pass from the general to the specific and attempt to lay down the precise equivalent to the prescribed service under the Defence Act. The conscientious objectors have never been sufficiently numerous in New Zealand to in any way endanger the strength of the citizen army. Their release would not materially affect the universality of the service; their treatment, whatever form it may take, can only prejudicially affect the territorial army if it is so planned as to incite shirking or to rouse a feeling in the ranks that the obligation which the law says is universal can be easily or cheaply evaded. If we avoid this danger the conscientious objector can safely be permitted to go wherever his conscience guides him. The real difficulty is that the great majority of those who call themselves conscientious objectors have no wish to avoid the danger referred to. In practice the conscientious objector is doing his best to undermine the defence system, which the great majority of the people are determined to maintain; in a great number of cases he is as little anxious for equivalent work as he is for military service. But for this a satisfactory alternative might have been arrived at long ago and because of this Mr. Allen is likely to find that his troubles arc only beginning when he endeavours to arrive at an exact eqnivalent which will satisfy the conscientious objectors without encouraging evasion of the law.